Lake Arpi National Park was founded in 2009 in order to preserve landscape and biological diversity, gene pool, natural heritage and ensure their scientific study in the territories of lakes Arpi, Ardenis and the left tributaries of the Akhuryan River, as well as aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems of the southwestern mountain slopes of the Javakhk mountain range.
The territory of the park is 21179.3 hectares and is divided into 5 sections: East, West, Ardenis, Alvar, Akhuryan gorge.
The territory of the national park is covered with steppes, meadows, subalpine and alpine meadows and wetlands. The presence of numerous endemic species of Armenia, the South Caucasus and the Caucasus attaches great ecological importance to the territory.
About 670 plant species grow in the National Park, 25 of which are included in the Red Book of Armenia. There are 249 vertebrate species in the national park, of which:
- Fish – 12 species (1 listed in the Red Book of Armenia),
- Amphibians - 3 types,
- Reptiles - 10 species (2 are listed in the Red Book of Armenia),
- Birds - 193 species (33 are listed in the Red Book of Armenia),
- Mammals - 31 species (4 are listed in the Red Book of Armenia).
